Everland looks to punch ticket to big program with Wintergreen win

Approaching one year since her richest career win, Everland is back in stride at her favorite track, Turfway Park. The filly is likely to go favored in the $125,000 Wintergreen Stakes for fillies and mares on Saturday night – and could punch her ticket back to Turfway’s biggest program of the year.

At this point, candidates are emerging for Turfway’s marquee March 22 program, with six stakes worth more than $2.1 million combined. The card is highlighted by the Grade 3, $777,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks, a major prep for the Kentucky Derby, and the $300,000 Bourbonette Oaks, which Everland won last year en route to finishing a creditable fifth in the Kentucky Oaks.

This year, Everland could be a candidate for the $250,000 Latonia Stakes, a race won two years ago by Eclipse Award winner Idiomatic. Nominations for all six of those Turfway stakes close Tuesday.

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Everland, who has a penchant for overcoming troubled trips, was claimed for $30,000 by trainer Eric Foster out of her maiden victory in December 2023 at Turfway. She went on to win a starter allowance race and finish fourth to loose-leading stablemate Maxisuperfly in the Cincinnati Trophy before prevailing in the Bourbonette.

Starting with the Kentucky Oaks, Everland was winless in her next eight starts. In the final race of that span, in December 2024, she returned to Turfway to finish second to the older multiple stakes winner Dana’s Beauty in the My Charmer. That race set her up nicely for the Likely Exchange on Jan. 24, in which she rallied up the inside for the win.

Everland has the best recent form at the stakes level in this field. Her biggest opponent Saturday could be the track itself, as she prefers to come from off the pace, and more forwardly placed horses have fared well at Turfway recently.

Dreaming of Mo was well beaten in her lone stakes try in November but bounced right back for a solid handicap score on Gulfstream’s Tapeta last month. Finishing third to her that day was 2024 Latonia winner Dana’s Beauty. Dreaming of Mo earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 88, the top last-out number in this field.

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